Low Magic Age
- January 10, 2017
- Low Magic Studios
- 29h median play time
Get on Steam"Low Magic Age" is a turn-based strategy game with RPG elements, set in a low fantasy world. Lead one of several factions, each with unique abilities and units, in a campaign to conquer and manage territories. Engage in tactical combat, diplomacy, and resource management to ensure your faction's survival and dominance.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the essence of D&D 3.5 rules, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of the tabletop game.
- The turn-based combat system is engaging and allows for strategic gameplay with a variety of character builds and customization options.
- The developer is actively updating the game, adding new content and features regularly, which shows commitment to improving the overall experience.
- The adventure mode lacks depth and variety, often leading to repetitive gameplay with generic quests and encounters.
- The crafting system is cumbersome and can be frustrating, as failed attempts result in the loss of resources and items.
- The game suffers from balance issues, particularly with enemy scaling and the effectiveness of certain character classes, making some playstyles feel underpowered.
- story216 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting that quests are generic and repetitive, primarily consisting of fetch and kill tasks. While some appreciate the sandbox nature and freedom to explore, they express a strong desire for a more developed narrative and meaningful quests, as the current offerings feel superficial and uninspired. Overall, the game is seen as a combat-focused experience with potential for improvement in storytelling, which players hope will be addressed in future updates.
“Unlike other party-based CRPGs, you can make your own party and not be made to miss out on the story.”
“If what you're looking for is a D&D single-player game that gives you the freedom and enjoyment of making your own characters and story, this is a great buy, especially when it goes on discount.”
“The adventure mode is a single-player D&D campaign, and there is lots of mines infested with monsters on the map you can clear out and take over to mine resources for crafting.”
“The main limitation, and it is an important one, is that there really is no story or character interactions.”
“There is no real story to the game (as of this moment), which is a huge bummer.”
“The quests are shallow 'deliver this, retrieve that' style affairs.”
- gameplay147 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a blend of open-world exploration and tactical turn-based combat, drawing heavily from classic D&D mechanics. While many players appreciate the depth of character customization and the nostalgic feel of the mechanics, there are criticisms regarding the repetitiveness of quests, lack of content, and some poorly implemented systems that detract from the overall experience. Despite being in early access, the game shows potential for improvement, with ongoing updates aimed at enhancing gameplay depth and mechanics.
“Addictively fun gameplay.”
“The mechanics feel good and the combat is fleshed out pretty well.”
“This is a delightful little turn-based tactics game with its roots in AD&D mechanics.”
“Nothing of any real substance (gameplay, systems, content) - nothing to interest me in returning.”
“The gameplay is neither complicated nor complex but rather weird and annoying and seems to be only focused on combat -- features outside of combat are rather buggy.”
“Overly repetitious and no real depth in any mechanic.”
- graphics97 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as basic, retro, and sometimes charming, with a mix of pixel art and simple 2D visuals that may not appeal to those seeking high-fidelity graphics. While some players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and find the visuals sufficient for gameplay, others criticize the lack of polish and consistency in art style. Overall, the graphics serve the game's mechanics well, but they are not a standout feature, and players who prioritize visuals may find the experience lacking.
“The graphics I find to be colorful, charming, and quite serviceable to the experience, and there is quite a bit to discover in terms of monsters, loot, weapons, and goodies as rewards.”
“The graphics are easy on the eyes, especially for old ones, and the art is nice, except for a few ugly animals like the dogs and wolves.”
“If you don't mind retro graphics, and love tactical turn-based combat, try it out for sure, especially if you loved the old D&D gold box games.”
“The graphics are basic.”
“The game itself is repetitive, and boring, with crappy 2002 graphics.”
“Low magic's graphics would fail next to just about any other game in the genre.”
- grinding25 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and repetitive, particularly in the crafting and combat systems. Many reviews highlight the lack of engaging content and the excessive resource requirements for crafting, which detracts from the enjoyment. While some players appreciate the grind as a core element of the genre, the consensus is that improvements are needed to reduce monotony and enhance the overall experience.
“It becomes tedious when there's no build-up but recurring 5-10+ minute encounters.”
“The campaign shows promise, but at the moment there's not a lot of stuff to do and it does feel a little grindy after a while, especially the crafting system.”
“Crafting could have been really rewarding but instead it turned into a grindy pain in the ass.”
- music18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it enchanting and fitting for the ambient atmosphere, while others describe it as bland and typical of RPG fare. Overall, it is noted for enhancing the gameplay experience without becoming repetitive, though some feel it could benefit from more variety and depth. Despite the criticisms, many appreciate the soundtrack's ability to complement the game's adventurous tone.
“If you enjoy the good ol' pen and paper D&D, or the old SSI games, want something simple but with depth, that works, gets the job done, with lots of options, and a good soundtrack, then you might really enjoy this.”
“The music fits well, setting a background atmosphere without ever getting repetitive.”
“If you are interested in the game, I recommend getting it now, not only because the price will go up later, but also because it is quite fun, well done, and has a beautiful soundtrack.”
“The music is bland and redundant, and the only positive I'd give to the customization would be the possibility to download character portraits from the workshop.”
“Music typical RPG fare but works.”
“Combats last only minutes, and while music and sound effects are likewise simple and could use some punching up, combat still has a tense feeling of the brutal, albeit limited, low-level combat of D&D.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, particularly due to its sandbox elements, procedural generation, and customization options. While some users note that the current adventure mode feels limited, many express optimism that future updates will enhance replay value significantly. However, a few critiques mention that the static nature of certain maps may hinder long-term replayability.
“A fun D&D style game with great replay value and tons of rule customization.”
“Great sandbox tactical game with immense replayability.”
“Where it used to say that, it now says 'open sandbox world: a replayable open sandbox world with various landforms and adventure elements.' I'm not sure what they mean by 'replayable' or 'landform elements', but like any game, you can always start a new game and replay the same small static map.”
“I know this is a beta version, but the increasing difficulty needs to be toned down a bit if the game is going to have serious replay value.”
“The product is consistently updated, it's ruleset accurate, there's tons to do and endless replayability.”
- stability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Overall, user reviews indicate mixed stability for the game; while some players report a lack of significant bugs or crashes during extensive playtime, others highlight various glitches, particularly in non-combat features and UI elements. The gameplay experience is described as repetitive and somewhat fun, but the presence of bugs detracts from the overall enjoyment for some users.
“It's not buggy and it's complex.”
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
“I appreciate how stable the gameplay is, allowing me to focus on strategy.”
“The gameplay is neither complicated nor complex but rather weird and annoying, and seems to only focus on combat -- features outside of combat are rather buggy.”
“Currently, even a D&D fan like me who could put up with the buggy Sword Coast Legends could hardly bear to play this game in its current state.”
“I also had some minor glitches with the UI, like the box that shows up with enemy information when you hover over them seemed to glitch out at the bottom of the screen.”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted for its depth and intricacy, offering enjoyable party-building and character creation experiences. While some users feel it could be improved, the overall system provides a fun and engaging adventure for those who appreciate these elements.
“The character development and equipment system are deep and intricate.”
“The plans laid out are great for expanding the adventure side of the game as well as variations in character development.”
“I find it incredibly fun to build parties and see how they fare. If you enjoy character creation, party building, and character development, this is certainly worth a purchase.”
“Character development could use some work, but the game is mildly amusing and fun if you like this kind of adventuring.”
“The plans laid out are great in expanding the adventure side of the game as well as variations in character development.”
“I find it incredibly fun to build parties and see how they fare; if you get a kick out of character creation, party building, and character development, this is certainly worth a purchase.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be surprisingly engaging despite its unappealing visuals, with players finding it genuinely funny and worth the investment. Screenshots effectively capture the game's comedic elements, highlighting its entertaining nature.
“It looks somewhat ugly and uninteresting, but it has its depths and is funny to play.”
“Worth its money - the game is quite funny.”
“The funny thing is that the screenshots literally show everything.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, while the game requires further polish and optimization, its turn-based nature mitigates the impact of these issues on gameplay. Players also note a favorable price-performance ratio.
“...when it comes to price-performance ratio.”
“It still needs some polish and optimization, but since the game is turn-based, it doesn't really affect me too much.”
“The optimization is lacking, which leads to frustrating performance issues during gameplay.”
“There are noticeable frame drops and stuttering, especially in more complex scenes.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, with users noting that it effectively reflects the game's themes. The music enhances the experience by providing a fitting backdrop that remains engaging without becoming repetitive.
“Despite everything, D&D is the game that best reflects the atmosphere.”
“The immersive world-building and attention to detail create an atmosphere that pulls you in.”
“Every sound and visual element contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that stays with you long after playing.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is considered affordable, with users noting that it offers good value compared to typical expenses like a Starbucks trip. Additionally, it suggests that engaging gameplay can be achieved without heavy investment in story, graphics, or advertising.
“The monetization model feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
“I can't believe how much they charge for in-game items; it feels like a cash grab rather than a fair pricing strategy.”
“The constant push for microtransactions ruins the experience, making it feel more like a money-making scheme than a game.”
